The Irish Government has this evening (Wed 6 January 2021) published additional public health restrictions under Level 5 as part of the Plan for Living with COVID. People continue to be urged to stay at home except for absolutely essential reasons.
The measures can be read here.
The Government’s Press Statement on the measures can be read here.
Some measures of interest to our members include:
Construction
Construction will close from 6pm on Friday 8 January, with limited exceptions. These limited exceptions, accessible to read at this link are:
- essential health and related projects including those relevant to preventing, limiting, minimising or slowing the spread of COVID-19
- social housing projects, including voids, designated as essential sites by Local Authorities based on set criteria
- housing adaptation grants where the homeowner is agreeable to adaptions being undertaken in their home
- repair, maintenance and construction of critical transport and utility infrastructure
- education facilities sites designated as essential by the Department of Education
- supply and delivery of essential or emergency maintenance and repair services to businesses and places of residence (including electrical, gas, oil, plumbing, glazing and roofing services) on an emergency call-out basis
- certain large construction projects in the exporting / FDI sector based on set criteria
Domestic Travel
People will be required to stay at home except for travel for work, education or other essential purposes, and will be permitted to take exercise within 5 km of home.
You can travel outside 5 kilometres of home for the following reasons:
- travel to and from work, where work involves providing an essential service (note a number of essential services do cover engineering-related activity as you will read. Note, however, the points about construction activity)
- to attend medical appointments and collect medicines and other health products
- travel to attend disability day services
- travel to attend a court
- for vital family reasons, such as providing care to children, elderly or vulnerable people, and in particular for those who live alone, but excluding social family visits
- for food shopping; for farming purposes (food production or care of animals)
- to attend a wedding or funeral; to visit a grave
International Travel
From 9 January 2021, all passengers arriving at Irish airports and ports whose journey originates in Great Britain or South Africa will be requested to have evidence of a negative result from a PCR COVID-19 test (COVID-19 not detected) taken up to 72 hours prior to arrival in Ireland.
Organised Indoor Gatherings
No organised indoor gatherings should take place.
Schools
Remain closed until 1 February, with learning taking place online.
For information about protecting yourself from the Coronavirus see here.
Members in our GB region should access this website here for COVID-19 information relating to the GB region.
Members in Northern Ireland should access this website here for information relating to our Northern region.
Members of our Australian region should access this link here and our New Zealand members here.